CES 2024: Samsung (re)launches its Ballie robot and goes all-in on AI

Some will inevitably see a parallel with BB8, the “soccer ball” droid from the latest Star Wars trilogy. And in fact, Ballie, whose return was announced Monday at CES in Las Vegas by its manufacturer Samsung, shares with the robot from the famous saga much more than a simple spherical appearance. Launched as a prototype at the same show three years ago, this personal assistant the size of a bowling ball and dedicated to domestic uses is smarter than ever.

This robot can move autonomously around its owners' homes and accomplish a battery of tasks. In a presentation video shown on Monday, we see the robot informing its owner through a messaging application of the actions it carries out in the house, such as monitoring the dog. Being able to connect to all the connected objects in the house and start them up, the robot immediately triggers a kibble machine, and can even project a video on the floor at the request of the dog owner.

The commercial does not say how the animal and the robot manage to live together all day long, but Samsung does not intend it only for animal care. Capable of learning user habits using artificial intelligence (AI), Ballie can allow its owners to make video calls, show them sports training sessions by adjusting the brightness of the room, and play music. , serve as a second PC monitor thanks to its 1080 pixel projector function, providing relevant and key information on daily life, or the weather. Lidar sensors help it move around the house and spot obstacles.

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Equipped with natural language recognition features, the robot can understand what its owners ask it, whether by voice or written messages. According to the Washington Post, Ballie could be put on the market as early as this year, while its predecessor was only a prototype. A few days ago, one of Samsung's main rivals, the Korean LG, also unveiled a personal robot, Smart Home AI, also capable of making rounds around the house, connecting to electrical appliances and chatting with its owners. Thanks to advances in generative AI and a better understanding of the tasks assigned to them, personal robots seem to have a bright future.

On the Samsung side, this announcement is by far the one that was most applauded on Monday in Las Vegas. The Korean giant has, however, increased its announcements during the conference called “AI for all”. “With the emergence of artificial intelligence, smarter and better experiences will redefine the way we live,” said Jong-Hee Han, vice president of the group.

Like LG earlier today, Samsung gave its vision of the technology and the way it wanted to integrate it into its products, with the exception of the telephony part and its Galaxy models, which will be the subject of a special conference on January 17. Whether to improve the display performance of its TVs or the efficiency of its Tizen operating system, more customizable than ever, AI is now omnipresent in the group's products.

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AI permeates the entire “white” range of the manufacturer but also its more tech products, from refrigerators to washing machines, including robot vacuum cleaners and computers in the Galaxy Book4 series. AI can understand customer expectations, enabling more energy-efficient modes of operation. Connected television, in particular, would become the nerve center of the Samsung ecosystem, allowing control of several devices.

Several legitimate fears center around the question of threats of hacking these objects, or respect for the privacy of users and their data. Samsung promises data encryption, via its Knox Vault and Matrix solution, and the ability for devices to monitor each other to isolate security threats.

Finally, inclusive features, such as the ability for the hearing impaired to control their devices with gestures, were also unveiled. On televisions and screens, AI can provide voice synthesis converting subtitles into spoken audio. This is intended for visually impaired people.